It is an image and video rendering software with an export plugin for SketchUp. It is a little more complicated to use, but has much more potential. It has no maximum image size restrictions, and it’s even possible to build 3D video animations. We experimented a bit with it and you can check out the results below.

Here is our Kertythea rendering of the same model from a similar view. We were able to remove the background by using an additional rendering of just the Alpha layer which we later used as a transparency mask in Photoshop.

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10 Responses to “3D Model: Logic Shrimp v1.0b”

These really do look totally awesome Ian. I love that you’re making 3D models of all of your designs.

The one thing I keep missing is the solder. No fillets on the pins. After looking at tons of boards over the years, it just kinda jumps out at me. I wonder how hard it would be to add that . . . everything else is so accurate!

really really realty hard :D you’d have to basically edit each model and then add the solder to each pin, yeah it could be copied/pasted, but doing it for a tqfp 144 still isn’t much fun :) another thing is that to make it realistic, you’d have to add bump-maps to the renderings for each of those solder joints. It is Doable but it would take 99% of the modeling time to jet 1% of the result. Once we build all our models we might take a stab at it, but I doubt, maybe build a script to generate 10 different solder joint randomly, but that’s far away.

Oh, no way did I mean for it to be a manual thing. In order to be practical, like you say, it would have to be done by the tool. All of the information is there, right? You know what surfaces on the board are exposed copper (tinned, etc.) And so you can walk through each of those areas, and if there is nothing directly above it (i.e. a pad with no pin soldered to it) then it would just get a little bubble of solder, and if there was a pin above it, then some mathematical ‘whetting’ formula would describe the needed solder surface, surely. I don’t have a good idea how to do it, just thinking out loud.

Another thing that would add just that much more realism is to take the solder mask layer and actually give it a tiny bit of height. That way, if you zoomed in, you could see the edge of the solder mask.

Both of these are tiny things – I’m really enjoying the 3D goodness you guys are producing.

I wrote a little guide below, but to answer your question more directly, I simply used some of the downloadable material libraries and tinkered with the diffuse color. That way you keep all the properties of the material but only change its color.
More directly Basic_Plasitc_perfect_reflections (IOR from 1100 to 1400) and Metals_Matte_Phong_A1 (Aluminum 01 and 02, and gold)

Well this was my stab at the dark so to speak.
*DWL and install KT and the SU plugin.
*Install various material libraries by downloading them from their site’s forum, or the websites Downloads section.
*to install simply go File?>install library and point to the downloaded zip file.

I suggest some DWLing metals and plastics

*now export the SU model to KT by using the plugin.
*In KT on the left side you’ll see a list of materials in the model. double click on one and a star will show up next to it, and that material wire-frame will highlight in yellow on the model.
*hovering over the materials name, right click and go into edit material.
*Now an edit material GUI will show up. There are two versions

*One is when the model is a single color. (that color will be next to the diffuse (thingamajig)) cllick on it and read the RGB values (remember them)
*now click on the the globe model. and chose the template material you would like for that, err material.
*now right click on the template diffuse color and delete it. next right click on diffuse and select add color, and adjust it to the RGB values you previously remembered. (you cuold also just adjust the templates color without deleting it)

*Second is when the material has an image(like the board). The process is pretty much the same just instead off “add color”, select “add bitmap”, and select the image you want as the material.

*and repeat the process for all the materials.

I used the Basic_Plastic_perfect_reflection (library pack) IOR between 1100 and 1300for the IC packs and the board. and the Metals_Matte_phon_a1 for the leads, pins and usb jack)

Once you selected all the materials, swivel and rotate to a viewpoint you want to render, and click start render. Here I used 800X600 3 thread( I have a 3 core CPU) and path tracing progressive. (the image above was stooped at around 20min, at step 250, You can let it work as long as you want..
*Tip make sure your computer has proper cooling….those long renders fry AMDs stock coolers like nothing

*my image is very poorly done, I invested maybe 1h, and I still have no grasp of 90% of the options, not to mention that I used the basic sun lighting…., but its only a matter of tinkering, and perhaps reading a book on 3d rendering :) till I get it right :) this should be enough info to get you started in tinkering, Also kertythea has a nice community, and their forum is a great resource of answers. Chances are that 90% of the questions you might have someone else just posted.

Of course if you have any more questions, you can leave them here and I’ll try to help out, (keep in mind I am a novice as well)

About the alpha Chanel, there is a rendering setting no25, Mask Render. you select all the materials in your model, make them starred( yellow highlight) then go into the render now, and selection 25 Mask render, and image will be rendered that is all black except where the model is, which is white. You can use this image with an image processor like PS, or GIMP, etc to add a transparency mask to your model. that way the background becomes transparent. and you can use it on websites that change their own backgrounds, or add it to a presentation. etc…

If you want the entire procedure of how to do it in PS, ask me in the forum….And plz share any KT insights you may stumble across. I am most interested.